Teanna L. Buchner

Senior Counsel

Teanna Buchner is Senior Counsel in Clark Hill’s Los Angeles office and is a member of the firm’s Litigation practice group. She represents growing companies in both transactional and litigation matters arising out of contractual disputes, subrogation claims, premises liability, and personal injury, including defense of catastrophic injury cases arising out of interstate trucking and transportation accidents.

Teanna’s clients include insurance carriers of trucking and transportation companies, business owners, and land owners. She also has experience in representing both landlords and tenants in commercial and residential disputes that involve unique issues regarding title, easements, covenants, conditions and restrictions, local rent control laws and California's Mobile Home Residency Law. Additionally, Teanna represents national banking institutions in both pre-judgment and post-judgment proceedings regarding the management of troubled assets and collection of debt, including experience with Federal and California Fair Debt Collection Practices Acts, Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, and California Sister-State Foreign Money Judgment Act. She has domesticated foreign state judgments throughout California and has handled matters through all collection efforts. In her representation of creditors, Teanna gained experience in a variety of bankruptcy proceedings, including those brought under Chapters 7, 11 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code.

With considerable experience in business transactions and litigation, Teanna has a unique ability to successfully represent clients in both state and federal court, from pre-lawsuit negotiation and evaluation through trial. She works closely with clients to achieve beneficial results in disputes arising from contracts, purchase agreements, guarantees and license agreements, while ensuring to address unique client concerns throughout negotiation and litigation, including specific recovery goals, business reputation, and maintenance of ongoing business relationships in order to best serve her client’s interests.

Representative Matters

Litigation – Trucking and Transportation

Successfully defended interstate trucking company and its driver in action involving a collision with a vehicle parked on the side of the highway allegedly resulting in a traumatic brain injury. Achieved favorable settlement after demonstrating comparative fault on the part of plaintiff and establishing pre-existing brain injury and cognitive deficiencies.

Defended interstate trucking company and its driver in a stipulated liability case where successful settlement was achieved after utilizing plaintiffs' social media accounts to establish that claims regarding debilitating injuries were inflated and unsupported by fact.

Defended interstate trucking company and employee in action brought by plaintiff, a department store employee who claimed permanent orthopedic injuries resulting from alleged negligent operation of yard goat during plaintiff's unloading of a trailer.

Negotiated favorable settlement in action where alleged negligent loading of cargo resulted in serious injuries to plaintiff. Plaintiff's post-accident surgery resulted in contraction of MRSA infection and claims of permanent disability. Settlement was reached at mediation after demonstration of contributory negligence of plaintiff in climbing onto the flatbed tractor in an effort to assist in unloading cargo.

Litigation – Business

In an environmental contamination action brought against a corporation and its Chief Executive Officer, obtained dismissal of entire action against CEO after successfully disputing claims regarding liability based on alter ego, fraudulent transfer, and CEQA violation.

Succeeded in Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings in favor of defendant property owner in an action for various damages arising out of redevelopment of multi-tenant residential property.

Successfully represented business owner in action involving breach of a non-integrated contract, where both parties claimed breach of contract and sought to utilize extrinsic evidence to demonstrate extra-contractual terms and obligations.

Negotiated beneficial dissolution and division of assets resulting from dispute of restaurant owners with domestic and international assets.

Successfully represented mobilehome park owner in various negotiations and lawsuits involving eviction pursuant to mobilehome residency laws and facilitating purchase of assets through Purchase Finance Agreements in compliance with local and federal laws.

Represented transportation carriers and brokers regarding contractual disputes arising out of issues with outstanding freight invoices, failure to perform pursuant to the terms of the contract, and substantial performance of contractual obligations.

Facilitated favorable asset purchase agreement arising from sale of corporate entity, while negotiating specific assets and property to be purchased or retained by our client.

Represented financial lender in efforts to recover contractual amounts owed under personal Guarantees securing various personal and business loans.

Litigation – General Liability

In an action brought by plaintiffs alleging conversion, intentional infliction of emotional distress, elder abuse, and conspiracy, successfully obtained dismissal of entire Complaint and Judgment for client's attorneys' fees pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure §425.16 based upon the defendant's conduct arising out of protected petitioning to change use of multi-tenant rental property. Defended national grocery store in slip and fall resulting in elderly plaintiff's broken hip. Obtained favorable settlement, prior to defense depositions, after establishing plaintiff's pre-existing gait and balance issues and lack of evidence to demonstrate existence of a dangerous condition.

Successfully defended national grocery store in a trip and fall allegedly arising from uneven pavement in the shopping cart collection area. Negotiated favorable settlement at mediation after demonstrating that plaintiff misrepresented pre-existing injuries and upon establishing that the condition allegedly causing the fall constituted a trivial defect.

Obtained beneficial settlement before trial in favor of maintenance company responsible for waxing floors of the office building, where plaintiff claimed significant orthopedic damages and lost earnings arising out of an alleged slip and fall.